Leaves: Nature's Gold

To put leaves to work, you first have to pick them up. There are a lot of tools on the market to make this job easier--first, the rake. Choose a lightweight rake with a long handle and wide tines perfect for picking up leaves. And of course you need a bag to put the leaves in; Home Depot has come out with great 30-gallon paper bags made from recycled paper. They're heavy-duty, but the best part is they decompose, so they can go right to the compost heap. Another favorite is the Fiskars Kangaroo Garden Container, which stores flat and easily pops open. It's good for any garden chore, especially picking up leaves. There are also scarecrow leaf-stuffing kits.

In a perennial garden, leaves really pay off. They offer protection to the plants over the winter, and then in the spring the leaves can be turned right into the soil. It's important not to put on too many leaves too early in the season. Wait until plants die back and until there's a hard freeze; then you can pile on the leaves.

To soup up your soil, spread a three- to six-inch layer of leaves over your garden bed. Then mix it in, ideally with a tiller. And what about the leftover leaves? Let them spin their magic in the compost bin. Leaves mixed with green material like grass clippings, garden refuse or food make a mixture of rich black humus, which will rejuvenate soil that has been robbed of valuable nutrients.